(Lady) Straya
Lady Straya is the patron deity of The Kingdoms of Kar. Straya's Justice To Straya, justice is rewarding those who have honor, and punishing those without it. The only ones fit to uphold her justice are the knights and nobles of The Kingdoms of Kar. Peasants and lower ranking members of society are subject to the punishments for injustice, but not the rewards for living a just life. They are not truly allowed to worship Lady Straya. Appearance Straya is typically depicted as a beautiful woman with wavy blonde hair, surrounded by a light-blue aura. She wears a circlet of silver around her head and a flowing white robe. Dogma Straya's teachings focus mainly on defending the The Kingdoms honorably and punishing wrongdoers. Her dogma can be seen in the Commandments of Justice used by the nobles of the Kingdoms of Kar. The Church of Straya Establishment Straya came into being when men of The Kingdom of The Horse and Kingdom of The Dragon were battling each other in -27 KC. The two kingdoms had just battled for nearly two weeks straight when a sizeable goblin invasion fell upon the two beleaguered armies. The men all prayed for some greater power to save them, and they were answered by Straya. She appeared on the battlefield along with a contingent of her angels, and all the men suddenly found their wounds healed and their fatigue banished. As one, the army fought for their lives against the goblins and eventually won the day. After the battle, the men knew in their hearts that it was not right for the two kingdoms to fight one another, and the war was ended immediately. Many of the knights who made up those armies were touched by what they saw, and became the first priests of Straya, aiming to spread their lady's message of justice and unity among the kingdoms. Governance The Church of Straya is led by two head priests, dubbed The Sword of Straya and the Shield of Straya. These head officials are chosen by Straya's angels upon the death of the previous titleholder. These two men hold absolute power over the church, unless they should fall into Lady Straya's disfavor. The Sword of Straya is responsible for punishing wrongdoers. He often acts as the judge of the entire Kingdoms of Kar, and is capable of imprisoning or even exiling those he believes have gone against Straya's justice. The Shield of Straya is responsible for rewarding The Lady's faithful, and overseeing major blessings and other important religious events. Cathedrals Cathedrals to Straya are present in all major cities of The Kingdoms, and they typically dominate the skyline. The Kingdoms divert large sums of money whenever a new cathedral needs to be built or an existing one needs repairs. Servants of Lady Straya Angels Angels of Straya are the spirits of knights who died in the service of Straya. They wear gleaming armor, fly upon glowing wings, and have powers greater than most any mortal. Angels serve as Straya's messengers, warriors, and personal servants. Priests Priests of Straya have the ability to ask their goddess for healing powers. They can also perform blessings and cleansings of all sorts, though the most important ones are the blessings of weapons and armor. Before a battle, knights are required to have their weapons blessed in holy water which has been prepared by priests. This blessing acts as a promise they will fight honorably, and also prevents swords from blunting and lances from shattering as easily. Strayan priests can also bless armor, again forming a promise to fight for Straya and also slightly increasing the protection provided by the armor. Most priests of Straya are those born of knightly parents who are unfit for battle. This may be because of injury, debilitating illness or even age. When a new recruit is brought into the priesthood, they must go through intense schooling for about two years to learn Straya's teachings and how to properly ask the goddess for aid. Knights Knights of The Kingdoms of Kar, while not direct servants of Lady Straya, do much to uphold her justice and promote her teachings. Knights prove their devotion to Straya by fighting honorably with blessed weapons. They also police the Kingdoms, preventing crime and exiling wrongdoers such as thieves or murderers. During times of peace, many knights embark on holy quests in Straya's name. They typically go do something such as recovering an artifact of Straya from thieves or defeating an unholy monster.